Display or advertising mechanism.



H. J. HERBERTS.

DISPLAY 0R ADVERTISING MECHANISM- APPLICATION FILED JUNE 3.1910.

1,236,433. Patented Aug. 14,1917.

4 SHEETS-SHEET I.

mirnr/ssas. Tm/cnfow H. .I. HERBERTS.

DISPLAY 0R ADVERTISING MECHANISM. I

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 3.19m.

1,236,433. Patented Aug. 14, 191?.

4 SHE ETSSHEET 2. I

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| I l I l I I l I (dime/sacs y H. J. HERBERTS.

DISPLAY 0R ADVERTISING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 3, I910.

Patented Aug. 14, 1917.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

I -HNHWIHH IHHH. huuwln l l wihl mimosses H. 1. HERBERTS.

DISPLAY 0R ADVERTISING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 3, I910.

Patented Aug. 14, 1917.

4 SHEETSQSHEET 4.

UNITED PATENT OFFICE.

HERMANN :rosnrn HERBERTQHOFVLQNDON FIELDS, LONDON, ENGLA D, AssIsNon T HEBBERTS ENGINEERING COMPANY, INC., or NEW YORK, N. Y., A oonronA'rIoN or DELAWARE.

" To all whom it'mag concern.

an apparatus worked magnetically;

Be it known that IQHERMANN JosErH HERBERTS, a citizenof the United States of America, residin at 19 Mentmore Terrace, London Fieldspm thecounty of London, England have invented new and useful Display or Advertising Mechanism, of which the following is. ,a specification.

This invention relates to apparatus for advertising and'displayingand its purpose is to exhibit articles and advertising matter in such manner as to attract attention.

To this end, theinvention comprises means for causing said articles to move with no visible means of propulsion and preferably also to be sustained with no visible means ,of support.

rial will be sup orted by the magnetic field.

against the sur ace and moved thereon.

Various constructions embodying the invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which Figure l is a cross sectional'elevation of Flg. 2 is a similar view of an alternate form of such apparatus;

. Fig. 3 is adetail thereof;

Fig. 4 is a similar view in cross sectional elevation of a third form;

Fig. 5 illustrates a sectional view disclosing a winding 2 as divided and having oppositely wound and connected parts;

Fig. 6 illustrates a similar modification, the lower pole pieces extending upward;

Fig. 7 illustrates a method of supporting,

small non-magnetic articles;

' Fig. 8 illustrates a coaxial section of a de- 1 .vice provided with a flat wall for use in a vertical position;

Fig. 9 represents an apparatus with a cone-shaped advertising base or wall;

10 is an arrangement for exhibiting hollow bodies;

5 DISPLLA' Y OR ADVERTISING MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 14, 1917.

Application filed June 3, 1910. Serial N 0. 564,847.

Fig. 11 is a diagrammatic representation, in plan view, of meansfor exhibiting ribbons or ring-shaped bodies parallel with the axis of the device; and

Fig. 12 is a detailed elevational view of a similar device.

In the constructions illustrated in Figs. 1 tot, the apparatus consists essentially of a surface upon which the articles to be exhibited are adapted-to move, and of means for producing a magnetic field extending through said surface and moving relatively thereto, to move and sustain the articles exhibited. Such a magnetic field may be produced by a permanent magnet or by an electromagnet. The movement of the field may be attained by imparting movement to the magnet or electromagnet, or to pole pieces thereof, by suitable distribution of conductors carrying alternating currents of different phase, or by successively supplying current to stationary electromagnets.

In Fig; 1,- an electromagnet is employed,

1 the core of which is 1 and the winding 2.

It is provided with pole pieces 3 and 4, each comprising a central disk pressed by a nut against a shoulder on the core 1 and laterally extending teeth 5. This electromagnet as a whole is adapted to rotate, being mounted in bearings 6, 7 which may be ball or roller bearings, but are best made oilless, for example by the use of graphite. The magnet is inclosed by the surface 8, upon which the articles to be exhibited move, and since the magnet-s simply rotate, its surface is cylirdrical. Preferably, the surface consists of thin brass or other non-magnetic metal sheet secured. to two disks 9 and 10, in or upon which the bearings for the core 1 are formed. The device may have a suitable stand 11 and a suitable ornamented top which however play no part in the action of the apparatus. The electromagnet is preferably rotated by means of the small electromoto 12 bearing on its spindle a worm 13 geari g with the worm wheel 14 upon the shaft 15 extending from the core 1. As the winding 2 also rotates, it is necessary to provide sliding connections whereby current may be conveyed to the winding, and for this purpose slip rings 16 are mounted on, but insulated from, the shaft 15, and brushes 17 connected with the source of supply bearing thereon.

Preferably, the poles 5 are bent toward each other so that the magnetic circuit between them can be completed by a com aratively short article placed on the outsi e of to be exhibited.

the surface 8. If desired, this metal surface may be supplemented or substituted by a surface of pa er, cloth, paint or enamel, or the like whic will have a different coefficient of friction with most of the articles It will readil be understood that when any article part y or whollymade of magnetic material is placed. on the outside, of'

the surface 8, a part of the magnetic flux extending between the poles 5 will pass through. the article and tend to press it against the surface 8. If this pressure is suflicient, the friction roduced thereby will revent the article fa mg down under gravtherefore move around on the surface 8..

If the article has itself a smooth surfaceif for example, itis a round so called tin box- -it will itself roll upon the surface 8 which'enhances the attractive effect. It is not of. course necessary that the article should extend completely from one pole to the other, but so far as it comes suificiently into the path of the flux to produce the necessary attraction, the desired end will be attained. If, however, the tractive effect is greater at one end of the article than the other, there is a liability for the article to twist and run out of the field.

Even if the article extends from one pole to the other, it may roll-somewhat out of the position of the maximum attraction if its axis becomes tilted through any cause. This is compensated for by slipping on the surface if the friction is nottoo great and striking effects may be attained by taking advantage of such slipping. Obviously, an inclination downward is particularly likely to cause the article to run out of the field and fall and it is therefore well to have area for the passage of the flux across the non-magnetic gap necessarily interposed between the pole piece. and the article to be supported. In this example, the magnet is no longer'positively rotated by the electro-.

motor 12, but the worm wheel 14 is ut uponthe shaft of the friction wheel 19 WhlCh engages with the upper surface of one of the pole ieces 18, or with a friction disk there'- on. he core 1 of the electromagnet is made hollow and within it, is placed 'ahollow brass spindle 20 through which the conductors ma be led; this spindle fits the hole through'the core only at the ends so as to diminish friction. In order that this construction may be suited to take short tins, it may be desirable to provide an extra ole piece 21 in the center, as indicated-by ig.

5. The winding'2 is then divided into two so as partly to complete the return magnetic circuit, thus making it possible to use a lon coil 2 with a comparatively. short surface 0 the drum 8. The pole pieces are secured to the core and therefore are also stationary. Rotating pole pieces 23 are arranged in the middle of the core and comprise a hub car rying spokes and extended. at their outer ends at right angles to their length, as illustrated. This disk rotates upon a ball or other, bearing 24 sup orted u on a collar 25 securedto the core. referab y, a thin brass liner or bush is interposed between the pole piece 23 and the core so that there may be no undue friction, due to contact of magnetized surfaces. The central pole piece 15 driven by an electric or other motor 12 through the friction disk 19 and the driving surface 34 formed upon or attached to the piece. It is now no longer necessary to provide'sliding connections for the supplyof the windings 2, but as the wires require to enter at the bottom out of sight, it is necessary to make provision for carrying the connections past the rotating ole. This is con-- veniently done by embed ing the wires in a slot 1, in the core3 or in a perforation extending therethrou h. Notches 36 in the pole pleces so modi y the distribution of the ux .as to assist in sustaining small articles against the lower part of the surface with-- out permittin them to drop to thelower ed e of the po e piece.

ermanent magnets may be employed alone as already stated; it is advantageous to curve the magnet so as to giveit as great a length as possible for a given distance apart of the poles.

It will be clear that the surface upon which the articles exhibited move need anot be cylindrical; it could be aflat wallas shown in Fig. 8 which may be disposed vertically or at any other suitable angle for effecting cone-shaped surface as shown in a differential action upon the display object as arising from the force of gravity and the magnetic attraction, by avoiding that these forces are. coincident and unidirectional. The magnetic field could be produced by permanent or by electromagnets, arranged to be moved in any closed figure, the articles being either above or beneath the advertising base or wall. The latter arrangement is illustrated in Fig. 9. Again the surface may, like a cylinder, present a closed cross'section but not a circular one, i. 6., a the cation Fig. 9.

Reverting to the cylindrical structure already illustrated, it may be mentioned that various attractive effects can be obtained with different articles.

As stated a simple cylindrical article rolls around the drum so as to expose in turn every side; such an article need not be entirely of vmagnetic 'metal, for example, a

cardboard box with magnetic rims rotates perfectly well. A tin box of elliptical or magnetic pencil cases, fountain pens and the like may be exhibited. The core need not by any means be large enough to fill the in terior of the article. In the modification illustrated in Fig. 10 the core 27 maybe attached by radial pivoted arms 58 to the article 26 so as to support it positively instead of by friction only. Each of the cores will roll around the drum and therefore the endless band will be carried around the drum and will, in turn, expose each part of its outer surface, as illustrated in Fi 11, where 59 is the endless band and 3 the hollow core.

A detailed elevational view of such a core 37 is shown in Fig. 12, a flange being provided at both ends and the upper part of the core being fitted with any desirable ornamentation.

Non-magnetic articles may instead be sup.

ported and exhibited by means of a magnetic stand itself adapted to coact with the apparatus. Such a stand is illustrated in Fig. 7 and comprises two disks 28 and 29 of magnetic material joined by a stem 30 which may also be magnetic. The disks form trays upon which the non-magnetic articles can be supported and the stem itself may be prolonged and bear another article".

As at first indicated, the electromagnetic field required for the purpose of the invention may be produced simply by means of electric currents. If alternating currents of two or more phases and of suitable low fre quency are supplied with suitably distrib uted conductors, a moving magnetic field is obtained which will serve the purpose of the invention. The ordinary frequencies of supply are, however, somewhat high for the purpose and would cause a rather rapid rate of rotation. For this reason it is better to employ direct currents and a commutator by which they are supplied in turn to a series of magnets. These magnets or the wound armatures replacing them should be so formed as to haveopposite poles at dif '7 ferent parts of their length.

What I claim is I 1. An apparatus for advertising comprlsing a solenoidincluding a magnetic core,

irregularly shaped pole pieces supported adjacent the core, a screen "housing the core and pole pieces, and means for rotating at least one of the pole ieces for producing a moving magnetic fieldithrough the screen.

2. An apparatus for" advertising comprising a solenoid including a magnetic core, pole pieces having teeth supported adjacent the core, a screen housing the core and pole pieces, and mechanical means for rotating at least one of the pole pieces for producing a moving magnetic field extending through saidscreen.

3. An apparatus for advertising comprising a solenoid including amagnetic core, pole pieces having teeth supported adjacent the core, a screen-housing the core and pole pieces, said teeth operatingadjacent the screen, means for rotating at least one of the pole pieces for producing a magnetic ,field through said-screen surface and moving relatively thereto, substantially as described.

4. An apparatus for advertising comprising a solenoid including a magnetic core, end plates secured thereto and forming poles thereof, an intermediate plate magnetically associated with said core and movable relatively thereto, a surface surrounding said plates, means for producing amagnetic field through said core, plates and surface, and means for rotating said intermediate plate.

5. Apparatus for advertising or displaying comprising a magnet, elongated pole pieces associated therewith and each having a plurality of. projections, a surface surrounding at least one of-said. pole pieces, and means for causing relative motion between said pole pieces and said surface.

6. Apparatus for advertisi-n comprising a cylindrical housing, solenoids supported within the housing, pole pieces formedadjacent the ends of the solenoids, and means for rotatmg at least one of the pole pieces,

7. An apparatus for advertising or displaying comprisin a solenoid, pole pieces having radial pro ections associated therewith, a surface surrounding said radial projectio'ns in proximity thereto, and means for causing relative motion between said radial projections and said surface.

8. An apparatus for advertising comprising a solenoid including a magnetic core, recurved pole pieces associated therewith, a surface inclosing the edges of said pole pieces, and means for producin a moving magnetic field extending throug said pole pieces and surface.

9. An apparatus for advertising comprising a solenoid including a magnetic core, recurved end pieces magnetically associated therewith, a housin surface inclosing same, a central subdivi ed. pole on said core, a driving rim attached to the said central pole or forming part thereof, and a motor frictionally engaging therewith for rotating insanelindrical object and a cylindrical magnetic core operating therein, means for producing a moving magnetic field through said po e pieces and surface for attractin said last named magnetic core for moving t e articles over the surface.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HERMANN JOSEPH HERBERTS.

Witnesses:

A. E. ODELL, LEONARD E. HAYNEs. 

